Mallard Interview
Copyright May 2008
The girl does have a sense of irony.
In the Post and Courier article written by David Slade he wrote, “During the election, (Tim) Mallard was critical of the city’s exacting development regulations, which he said nearly scuttled a deal to bring a new Harris Teeter store to the St. Andrews Shopping Center. Riley announced a compromise plan for the shopping center four days before the election, and both candidates sought some of the credit.
“Mallard said some of the city’s regulations are appropriate downtown but not in the suburbs.”
The City Paper on October 17, 2007 wrote, “Mallard, an industrial realtor, believes the city’s vision for growing businesses, jobs, and communities is disconnected from reality. Mallard, a member of the regional Council of Governments, wants to see improved roads, less high-density development, and, while he supports new industries in the city, he also supports a push for locating new businesses in North Charleston and Goose Creek to cut down on the commuting traffic heading into the city every day.
“Mallard says he would try to address concerns before they happen, like the tap fees abandoned after the fire that some say have prevented businesses like the Sofa Super Store from installing sprinkler systems.
“’I want to be proactive, not reactive,’” he says. “’Whether it be a fire or a hurricane evacuation — or anything like that. It seems like this government is always reacting.’”
“Mallard wants to be ‘a voice for the suburbs’ who feel neglected from a peninsular approach to governing.
“I’ will be a strong voice for West Ashley, Johns Island, and James Island,’” he says. “’Not an echo.’”
Timmy Mallard proved that Friday, May 16, when the P&C reported. “Charleston City Councilman Tim Mallard accused Mayor Joe Riley of repeatedly interrupting while several council members questioned the city’s fire review panel Friday afternoon. Mallard is among council members who said they feel left out of efforts to review and improve the fire department.
“Mallard blew up at Riley on Friday afternoon at a meeting that was arranged for council to question members of the fire review team, after the mayor repeatedly offered his take on the Fire Department and the fire.
“’I thought we were going to be able to talk to them without you here,’” said Mallard, who asked the mayor to leave. When Riley declined, Mallard left.
I wanted to interview Councilman Mallard, but he was on his way to a business trip to Las Vegas. Airport, wireless connection and luggage screw-ups rather limited the interview, but here it is such as it is.
He didn’t hold his fire:
I was a bit surprised to open the Sunday’s News & Courier. I scanned the front page, letters to the editor, and second front. Not a damn bit of coverage on the biggest thing to happen in Charleston since Hurricane Hugo. I was appalled that there wasn’t any and I mean not ONE mention of the sofa super store fire.
I am a bit confused. Riley is now blaming Goldstein, the owner of the sofa super store building, for the cause of the fire. BUT, he wants to reward him with $1.850m of your and my hard-earned taxpayer dollars with a purchase of land, which would then release the Goldstein of all asbestos in-ground liability.”
I don’t know if there is a cover-up, But it sure smells fishy, and I mean “three weeks old mullet cookin in the August sun’
“The only thing in the paper was an editorial by the Mayor for the citizens to focus on the purchase of Morris Island. This editorial is a great diversion for the mayor and his staff.”
“This purchase looks like a monetary bailout for Riley’s buddy Bobby Ginn. Now don’t get me wrong, I think Morris Island should be preserved, but the taxpayers of Charleston should not have to pay for it. Why don’t we put that $1.5m into buying new equipment for the fire department. And of course, this is just the ‘tip of the iceberg.’ The mayor will come back in 8 months and ask for $3m to build a dock, etc. etc. etc. It is a great idea, but their are hundreds of Civil War groups and other preservations societies with truck-fulls of money that would love to buy the island. Its all about Riley having control.”
There is a huge buzz in the city and a valid argument for Charleston to move to a different form of government. A stronger counsel with a city manager is very prevalent in most cities our size. For Charleston to do this it would take a referendum and an inquiry from the Justice Department then all new elections. I would certainly vote for that. Riley’s inability to communicate to real citizens of Charleston and his 36 years (unless he resigns during this term over the fire) tenure makes a great argument for term limits
May 21, 2008 at 1:21 am
I agree with Mr. Mallard, particularly with the syndrome laid out regarding Morris Island. One only has to look back at the ball park onthe Ashley that was only going to cost $3M then $6M and $9M upped to $15M, $21M and the last figure heard was $26M of taxpayer largesse of the sort that grows on the orchards of West Ashcan, John’s Island, James Island and the probably not much longer Berkeley county Orchard of Daniel Island.
I might conclude that Joe is less the tragic Caesar the fifth column inch of fifth columnists would lay at the feet of a Cassius Mallard, than the wretchedly pathetic Lear that would have the Gloucester of Columbus St attend the Lords of West Ashley and East Cooper while he expresses his darker purpose… (mea culpa, my muse warps my prose as the wretchedness unfolds).
On a differnt tangent, Gooch, you’re right, we do have a sense of tragedy that regions outside the South have no grasp of. The corruption moves on, chat with Marc Knapp about CPWs obdurately ostentatious Joe’s slush fund line item in their budgets… blame shifted for deniable culpability, which might tie into a previous blog entry with a Mayor riding in on the waves of cover up of a break in to sanitize a call girl ring’s “catalog” in Ida Maxine Well’s desk at the “cash strapped” DNC’s palatial Watergate offices… again, that one goesn down a long trail best desensitized with a single malt that is older than most of Warren Jeff’s brides.